Designing and Optimal Sizing for Off-Grid PV System in Al- Muwailiha village/Iraq by using PVsyst and Homer Software: A Case Study

Abstract

The future energy demand's dependence on solar power plants is determined by the payback period and specific electrical grid parity pricing. This emphasizes the significance of using the most effective and suitable techniques for determining the appropriate size of these systems. Furthermore, designers are increasingly prioritizing the development of straightforward and dependable sizing models for freestanding photovoltaic (PV) systems. Various methods, from basic guidelines to advanced software programs, are available for analyzing and sizing stand-alone solar systems. This study for sizing solar system which contains 5 houses for modest residences in the village of Al-Muwailiha located rural area of Babil Governorate in Iraq situated at the coordinates 32°51'37.7" North and 44°24'40.6" East. To accomplish this goal, the system is designed by utilizing two well-known software programs ( HOMER Pro,  PVSYST 7.2). The yearly results showed that Pvsyst whose annual energy production is 38,903 kWhr and its energy consumption is 32,425 kWh, while HOMER's production is 41,187 kWh and its energy consumption is 28,910 kWh. It clearly obvious that PVsyst has a higher utilization factor than HOMER due to the missing energy in the PVsyst program is 324.3 kWh/yr and the unmet loads in the HOMER program are 3,840 kWh/yr. The primary emphasis of this work was on the PVsyst program for designing the necessary off grid PV energy system. This study provides a useful guide for sizing and developing standalone PV systems in different locations, using the same technique outlined in the paper.